


Shibai

by Debochira



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27683084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Debochira/pseuds/Debochira
Summary: Mileena may have been the most prominent clone of Princess Kitana, but in one of Kronika's many timelines, another clone was created first. This is the story of failure and the effort it takes to rebuild. Rated M for being a Mortal Kombat story.
Relationships: Liu Kang/Kitana, Sonya Blade & Johnny Cage
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. The Failed Experiment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this itch for a while now, and with the recent DLC for Mortal Kombat 11, that itch got so bad that I had to scratch it. Please rest assured that for those of you worried that this will be a Mary Sue story where a new kharacter takes front and center, rest assured that that will not be the case. While the majority of this story focuses on Shibai, she does not replace any major character plots: she does not become Kahnum of Outworld or Protector God of Earthrealm or anything like that, unless specifically noted where her "arcade endings" would happen. Essentially, assume that scenes without her transpire exactly as in the games. I just wanted to write about a morally good clone of Kitana without losing Mileena's uniqueness. May or may not go to Mortal Kombat 11's story, depending on feedback and general willingness to deal with MK11's plots.
> 
> For extra clarification, she looks exactly like Mileena as portrayed in MK11.

_"What is better? To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?"_

This is not the story of Kitana, the Princess of Edenia destined to rule with grace and poise. Nor is it the story of Mileena, the Empress of Outworld fated to bring her kingdom to ruin and death.

This is the story of failure, the rejection of perfection and the strength to shape the realms in ways unknown to man or god.

* * *

Outworld. A brutal realm where the strong reign supreme over the weak. All who live in this cursed place serve the will of its ruler, the mighty Shao Kahn, by choice or by force. Resistance is met with swift and cruel death. For the fortunate, that death comes at the hands of Shao Kahn's enforcers; the bladed Baraka, the four-armed Shokan executioner Kintaro, the centaur hunter Motaro, and hundreds more.

No Outworld denizen is spared the wrath of Shao Kahn. Every race sends groups of their kind as tribute to the Mad Emperor, and their fate is determined entirely at his whim. Some become his personal slaves, others soldiers for his armies.

And other still are sent to the various torture chambers of his palace, but none are so dreaded as the Flesh Pits. No one knows what transpires within except Shao Kahn himself and the black-hearted sorcerer Shang Tsung. All that is certain is that in the years leading up to Outworld's final Mortal Kombat tournament against Earthrealm, more Tarkatans were sent to the Flesh Pits than anywhere else...

* * *

"Sorcerer!" bellowed the Emperor, stomping his way through the bloody halls of the Flesh Pits. "I demand a report. What is the progress of your little pet project?"

Shang Tsung had long ago mastered the art of self-control, and so he did not bristle at the command nor the degradation of his work. He simply smiled behind his white mustache and bowed. "My Emperor, I believe you will be pleased."

"We shall see." Shao Kahn ended his march at the base of a vat filled to the brim with a foul-smelling blue-green fluid. Inside was a beautiful woman who for all intents and purposes was sound asleep. "Is it aware?"

"Not yet, but she will soon awaken."

"How soon?"

As if on cue, the woman's eyes shot open. One eye was a lovely brown color, but the other... was inside out. Her hands pressed against the glass, staring desperately at her observers. She screamed, her voice escaping in bubbles from her mouth, and slammed a fist against her prison. The glass cracked but held strong.

"It has spirit," said Shao Kahn, sounding mildly impressed.

'It' punched again and successfully breached the vat, spilling the fluid and herself onto the floor. She hissed and snarled at them and lunged.

Her skull caved easily under the weight of Shao Kahn's hammer. "A failure," he said, "but this shows potential."

Shang looked down at the woman with distaste. "Yes, I have made significant strides. With enough time and resources, I shall have the perfect clone of your 'daughter'."

"Well done." Shao Kahn wiped his hammer on the test subject and addressed Shang directly. "Do not limit yourself to an imitation of Kitana. My true daughter must be loyal and vicious to a fault. I will not tolerate any less. Use more Tarkatan blood if you must, so long as I am granted a fierce warrior and worthy heir."

"As you command, Emperor."

* * *

That was the first of Shang Tsung's experiments, but not the last. Each failure taught him something new, what went wrong and what went right. Little by little, he closed the gap between mindless animal and sentient life. Those who stayed alive long enough were sent up to the Koliseum, the rest were recycled back into the Flesh Pits.

Years passed. Wars rose and fell, and the Mortal Kombat tournament drew near. Fortunately for the sorcerer, his presence was not required for the duration of the experiments. All he really needed to do was begin the process and be there when the subjects were fully formed. In his own words, it was perfect clockwork.

As it stood, he had two experiments remaining until he needed to brew another batch. One had yet to fully develop, but the other had progressed enough to be examined before Shang returned to Earthrealm to oversee the tournament. He did not summon the Emperor, however, as failures thinned Shao Kahn's patience rather quickly.

This subject was not a beautiful Edenian like Princess Kitana; her mouth bore the brutal fangs and maw of a Tarkatan warrior. She would only be able to pose as Kitana if she covered the lower half of her face, but that was secondary to her greater purpose: The perfect warrior-daughter of Shao Kahn.

Well, she had another purpose, but for now warrior-daughter would do.

The bottom of the vat opened, spilling her to the floor amid the fluid that sustained and nourished her from the very beginning. She drew the first breath of air in her life and hacked up the remaining amniotic fluid in her lungs.

Shang Tsung knelt down—what he would not give for a bout of fresh souls for his poor knees—and lifted the subject's chin to face him. Her sclera were mildly discolored, her irises the same shade of brown as Kitana but with thin slits for pupils.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

Slowly, the subject focused on him. Her eyes narrowed and she looked him up and down. Her jaw opened and closed as she tried to formulate words. "Shhhang Tsssung..."

"I would have preferred 'Master'," he said, smirking, "but that will do."

"Who... am I?"

"Ah." Shang stood and clasped his arms behind his back. "How rude of me not to give you a name. For now, I shall call you... Shibai. If you are worth my time, I may give you a kinder name."

'Shibai' gawked at him. "Why is it unkind?" For some reason unknown to her, she felt a dark anger at the idea of being insulted. She had only lived a few moments but she already had the need to inflict violence.

Shang chuckled and said, "It means 'failure'."

 _That_ set fire to her heart. She lurched to her feet, fists clenched tightly at her sides. "I am not a failure!"

"Prove it," he replied with a snap of his fingers. A trio of Tarkatans barged into the chamber, their fangs dripping with hunger. "This woman attacked me, kill her!"

Shibai had no chance to protest her innocence. One of the warriors lunged at her, and everything went red.

When it cleared, she woke up to the taste and smell of fresh blood. How delicious it was! She licked her palm with delight, but froze at the sound of clapping.

Shang Tsung smiled coldly at her and stopped clapping. "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant." He raised an eyebrow and looked past her. "Now finish it."

Shibai followed his gaze and spotted one of the three Tarkatan warriors. One of his arms was ripped right from its socket and both his legs were broken. Despite his injuries, he was still alive. "I..." The bloodlust faded from her mind. Did she really do that? She looked down at the Tarkatan she had been chewing on. His eyes were plucked from his head and his throat was gnawed open. Nearby, Shibai saw what became of the last warrior. He had been disemboweled, his organs strewn messily in front of him. "I didn't..."

"Finish him!"

Shibai looked the Tarkatan in the eye. Her appetite gone, she approached him with equal feelings of guilt, horror, and pity. But why? She had no recollection of even doing anything! That was not her!

But it was her. Her hands were red with blood and she still had the taste of flesh on her fangs. The Tarkatan matched her expression with one of terror. He was afraid of her? Of course he was, she was a monster!

How could she be a monster? She did not even know what a monster was! Why would she be feeling guilt at such a natural display of ferocity?

Kill him! Kill him and eat him!

Spare him! He is beaten!

Kill!

Spare!

KILL!

SPARE!

Shibai clenched her eyes shut and lashed out. Her fist collided with the Tarkatan's jaw and swung his head sharply to the side. There was a loud _CRACK!_ and he slumped over, his head tilted at an odd angle.

"How disappointing," said Shang. He reached out with a glowing green hand and enveloped the three Tarkatans in green flames. In moments, their muscles shriveled up until only desiccated skeletons remained. "I had such high hopes for you. Such strength, such brutality, such a failure."

"I..." Shibai turned and faced the sorcerer, angry tears in her eyes. "I am not a failure!"

Shang hummed to himself and said, "I would truly enjoy watching you die, but I am needed elsewhere." With a flick of his wrist, a flaming skull blasted Shibai through a nearby window. She fell, fell, fell, and suddenly stopped.

Perhaps it was the adrenaline of the battle and Shang Tsung's treachery, but Shibai barely felt the spike pierce her. Her body slid down the spike until she touched the floor, and a wave of warmth washed over her.

Her vision blurred as she looked at the bloody spike poking out of her abdomen. "I am a failure?" she whispered, and then she giggled hoarsely. "You... are a failure as well... sorcerer..."

Oh how she wanted to drift into the blissful eternal sleep, but that would validate Shang Tsung's belief that she truly was a failure. She was not what she was meant to be, but that did not make her a failure!

With the strength she had left, Shibai tensed her limbs and lifted herself up. Now she felt the pain of her injuries! The surge of clarity woke her up enough for her to whimper, but she had to keep going. She had to rise above her situation!

"Literally," she hissed through clenched teeth, but her cheeks lifted in a bitter smile. She reached the tip of the spike and was so very relieved to find that it was short enough for her to remove herself relatively easily.

Clutching her wound, Shibai giggled once more. For a failure, she sure survived that ordeal well enough.

She knew her original purpose was to kill and replace Kitana, but now she had a new one. She would pervert Shang Tsung's machinations, find and join Kitana, and then end the soul-stealing sorcerer.

This is not the story of Kitana, nor the story of Mileena. This is the story of Shibai, the failed experiment who grew beyond her creators and forged a new life with her own two hands.


	2. Chance Meating

Food... Need food...

She did not need food, she just ate.

FOOD!

Shibai groaned and pressed her free hand to her aching temple. The other hand clutched at her wound, stemming the bleeding as much as possible. She needed bandages and clothing, and then she needed to escape this unholy place.

"I'm hole-y," she said to no one in particular, and then laughed at her own joke.

She had fallen to a lower area of the Flesh Pits, which despite its name did not seem to have much flesh lying around. In fact, there was hardly anything of note on this floor beyond lit braziers on the walls and the occasional torture device. Perhaps the majority of the more interesting things were on the upper floor, but Shibai had not had the chance to look around before she left.

Even so, the air was filled with the enticing aroma of blood and rotting meat. Shibai licked at her fangs, desperate for tiny bits of muscle still stuck in them. Why was she so damn hungry?! The further she limped, the stronger the scent of food.

She needed to focus on getting out of there and having her wounds treated. There had to be an exit, perhaps an unguarded doorway or a flight of stairs...

FOOD! Shibai took a deep breath through the nose and sighed hungrily. There, just behind a column and lit by a dying brazier, was a perfectly good carcass ripe for the picking. Someone had even gone to the trouble of skinning it!

Forgetting her wounds, Shibai pounced on the corpse and yanked off one of its arms. She bit down hard and ripped a sizable chunk from the forearm, gnashing the sinews of muscle between her teeth. It was so delicious! How in the world could anyone just let the body go to waste? She took another bite, and another, and another, until the forearm was nothing but bone.

"Excuse me?"

Shibai froze. The last time she was interrupted from a meal, it ended badly for her. She carefully looked around for the speaker but found no one. Was the voice in her head?

"Excuse me? Down here."

Shibai looked down. The corpse looked up at her, one eye dangling from its socket. "... Hi."

"Hello," it said, then pointed at the hand still twitching in Shibai's grip. "May I have that back, please?"

She looked at the hand, then at the corpse, then back at the hand, and then dropped it on the floor. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea you were alive!"

The corpse grabbed its arm and sat up. "No harm done." It stuck the limb back into place with a loud _snap!_ "It will regenerate in a few minutes."

"I'm sorry, I was just so hungry and you didn't even make a sound."

The corpse chuckled, its dangling eye swinging from cheek to cheek. Tendrils of nerves and veins sprouted from the stump of its arm and coiled around the reattached limb. Indeed, it would be fully reformed in barely a minute or two. "Quite right, I do not feel pain."

Shibai stared at the process of regeneration with fascination. Not only was her hunger sated, she found herself curious to meet one such as this. "Who are you?"

"I... don't have a name," it said. "I escaped the sorcerer before I was fully formed."

That certainly explained its appearance, but... "What are you doing down here? Is there no way out?"

The creature nodded. "There is, it's further down the hall and to the left. I have often walked down there and..."

"And what?"

"I can't leave," it said with a defeated sigh. "The Tarkatans would sniff me out in an instant as you just did, but I fear they would be less willing to relinquish my body parts. I would be an endless feast for them, so I am trapped here."

Why did she feel the need to help this poor soul? It was dead meat, it said so itself. She had to suppress a snort at the thought of its name being Meat or something similarly on the nose. "Perhaps you can come with me? I just killed three Tarkatans, I can... I can fight more. However many it takes to get us both out of here."

'Meat' chuckled but shook its head. "You have a kind heart to help a stranger, but alas, you..." It suddenly looked down and its eyes widened. "My word, you're wounded!"

"It will heal," she said, but the wound was getting more and more painful. "I'll focus on that later."

"If I may, I can stop the bleeding."

Shibai stared at it. The second person in her life that actually spoke to her was offering to heal her? "I don't know... You would do this freely?"

"Well, I do have a request," said Meat. It grasped its hanging eye and ripped it right from the socket, holding it out to her. The pupil dilated and contracted as its bloody optical nerve dangled below. "I can see through this eye even when it is removed. Please take it with you so I may see the world beyond, if only from a distance."

... ... ... "I accept." She carefully took the eye and tied it around her wrist. If Meat did not feel pain then neither did the eye, and she had nowhere else to secure it. As for her wound, Meat simply pressed a hand to it and within seconds the wounds healed up enough that Shibai was no longer in danger of bleeding out.

"It will heal fully in a matter of days but I'm afraid it will leave a scar."

Shibai shrugged. A paltry scar was the price of freedom? That and taking his eye with her? Quite the deal if she did say so herself. "Thank you."

As Meat had said, the exit was down the hall and to the left. After that it continued on to a long, dark passageway that chilled Shibai's skin. It seemed no one bothered to have regular security down in this area as there was no door or gate to block Shibai's progress. It did have two guards some ways down the passageway, both of whom had their backs to her.

They seemed a different race than Tarkatan judging by their scents. Perhaps the same race as Kitana, but that was not important. They were blocking the way out and must be eliminated.

The first went down with a simple snap of the neck, but the other grazed Shibai's arm with his spear. Enraged, Shibai yanked the spear from his grasp and shoved it down his throat, piercing all the way through until it stuck in the ground. Such brutality certainly made Shibai feel proud of herself and yet also unsettled. So far she had been viciously violent with literally every person she had met so far, and she had only been born less than half an hour ago.

Grumbling to herself, Shibai removed the clothes of the guard not nailed to the floor and dressed herself. The clothes were a poor fit, the armor would be no fit at all, and she had to tie some spare cloth around the wound on her arm, but at least she finally had clothes. The tunic even came with a hood to obscure her face. As well, she claimed his fallen spear to better protect herself against any other damn weapons. One of the benefits of Shang Tsung's incubation experiments was that he could implant memories and subconscious instructions; while Shibai had no actual experience with weapons, she had a built-in instinctive technique with most weapons available in Outworld. For some reason, she knew she had particular skill with small dual weapons like knives and daggers, but the spear would suffice for now.

Armed and clothed, Shibai made sure Meat's eye was still secure and went on her way.

* * *

The underground beneath Shao Kahn's palace was enormous and labyrinthine! These halls curved and bent into each other and into dead ends and everywhere between. Shibai wandered for seemingly hours in the tunnels and passages before she finally found an actual exit, but she quickly wished she had not.

Her eyes burned and filled with painful tears at the caustic air. It smelled and tasted like putrid stomach acid and the light was poisoned to a sickly green hue. Even breathing hurt!

Shibai hesitated at the entrance to this new area. She would be fully exposed on the walkway beyond and while there did not seem to be any guards at the moment, those pools full of green fluid did not look inviting. One slip and she feared the worst, given what just happened to a carcass suspended on a hook. It lowered into the pool, stayed under for a few seconds, and came back up a desiccated skeleton dripping with acid.

Ugh, the smell was suffocating! Shibai could be blindfolded and have dung an inch from her face and be none the wiser. She glanced down at the eye tied to her wrist. Maybe Meat had the right idea to stay behind but Shibai could not make that decision for herself. She had too much to do, too much to prove to herself.

That did not change the fact that she wanted to vomit. Maybe if she ran through? The floor seemed relatively clean, no danger of slipping there. There was light beyond the walkway and into the hall beyond, as well as the light from above the grated ceiling. It appeared to be daytime, not that that meant much if she could not get out of this damn dungeon!

Enough deliberation! Shibai had not come this far just to debate with herself. She took a deep breath, counted to three, and ran for it.

She made it about halfway across before something collided with her torso. She went flying right back to the entrance to the dead pool, her chest burning as though someone had rammed it. The wind knocked out of her, she struggled to find her attacker but there was no one there. What the hell happened? It felt like someone had drop-kicked her but how? Surely she would have seen them? Unless...

At the opposite end of the walkway, the air shifted and bent around someone. They revealed themselves, a strange creature with green-ish scaled skin, green clothing, and black armor. Their eyes burned a golden yellow, and when they rasped, flecks of green acid spilled from the holes in the mask covering their mouth.

"Intruder! You shall die for the glory of Shao Kahn!"

Shibai hoisted herself back to her feet and glared at this beast. A Saurian if her implanted memories were accurate. Venomous spit, prehensile tongue, and a proclivity for violence. Well, that last one was obvious. This was Outworld, after all.

"And you shall die for kicking me right in the chest!"

The battle began, and Shibai realized with mounting horror that while she had the innate skills of Princess Kitana, she lacked actual experience. She had been very lucky to have won her previous battles as those were against unskilled opponents the first time and she had the element of surprise the second time.

This time, she quickly learned how outmatched she was against an opponent with actual fighting prowess. She certainly landed a few strikes, but for every blow she landed she received three in turn. The beast was so fast! And it could turn invisible, like that was fair.

The first 'round' ended with a decisive uppercut to her jaw and she knew a few teeth were broken before she hit the floor. But at least she hit the floor and not the acid pools on either side. Damn this creature! If she had a better idea of her own capabilities, she would defeat him easily! She had to!

She stood back up and wiped the blood from her nose and mouth. The creature did have minor wounds thanks to her spear, but it was still in better shape to fight than her and she knew it. She did not fear death, not yet anyway, but to die so soon into her life at the hands of some reptile? That was just sad.

Shibai charged into the second bout with renewed vigor but she needed to come up with something if she was going to win this fight. Kitana was able to perform magical attacks with war fans, but could Shibai do the same with a spear? If she was going to die, she earned the right to find out.

After a successful kick that sent the Saurian reeling, Shibai gripped the spear such that it stood perpendicular to the floor and spun it as fast as she could. The result was twofold; her opponent was forced back further by a gust of wind, and she herself was pushed in the opposite direction by the wind she conjured. Finally some breathing room! Shibai would definitely have to remember that technique.

And then the bastard turned invisible. The stench of the dead pool masked its scent, leaving Shibai defenseless. Swinging wildly would get her killed but she could not just stand there and do nothing. There had to be a way to get it to reveal itself...

Too late. Its fist collided with the side of her head and she went spinning to the ground. Dazed, she swiped her spear at the general area around her only to have the spear swatted out of her hand. A clawed hand clutched her throat and another punch landed right in her face. And another, and another, and another...

The creature revealed itself again and looked at her with hungry eyes as it removed its mask. Acidic venom dripped from its fangs, its jaw unhinging as it prepared to finish her.

A bloody foot smashed into its skull, releasing its grip on Shibai's neck. She gasped for air and coughed harshly as she tried to stand, but the vicious assault left her severely disoriented. Better that than having her face melted off, she supposed.

"Run!"

Blinking away the fatigue in her eyes, Shibai found Meat battling the creature. They were locked in a grapple, though it seemed the Saurian had a stronger grip.

"Run now!"

"I can't leave you!" she tried to yell, but it came out a harsh growl from the choking she suffered earlier. "We can defeat it together!"

Meat smiled sadly. "Yours is truly a kind soul. Now go!" The Saurian slipped free and bit down hard on Meat's throat. With a crunching _snap!_ it also broke Meat's arm at the elbow.

How could Shibai leave? She owed her life to this poor unfinished man, she had to help! She had to... had to... She had to run, so she ran.

"I'll come back for you," she cried, her eyes welling with tears. She hated herself for it, but Meat was right. Now was her chance while the Saurian was distracted, but to sacrifice Meat... "I'll come back for you! I promise!"

From that moment forth, Shibai made another vow. No matter what, she would never allow one to sacrifice themselves for her again. Not while she still drew breath.


	3. Armed and Dangerous

A dark anger burned in Shibai. How dare that creature get the better of her! She was a warrior, bred for kombat with the blood of Kitana herself in her veins. Yet she was soundly defeated, her escape only possible through the aid of another.

When several guards accosted her as she ran from the dead pool, she vented her rage on them. Two would live, albeit with missing limbs, while another two lay in pieces in her wake. She also took one of their spears, having unintentionally left her previous one behind.

She chuckled dryly. She tore through the guards with such ease yet she could not best a slimy reptile. Then again, these guards seemed more for show than actual security, their technique almost non-existent and their flesh too tender against Shibai's strength.

If Shibai was going to survive on her own, she needed to hone her skills. At least she had a new technique, hopefully the first of many, but all the techniques in the world meant nothing if she was lost in the underground maze again!

It seemed that the pathways actually changed while occupants traveled inside as there was no logical structure to the palace chambers. Somehow, Shibai had traveled from the Flesh Pits to that dead pool to an armory where the air burned and smelled of iron and sweat. The chamber was vast, almost as cavernous as the Flesh Pits, with laborers and slaves working the various smithing tools within the forge. Fortunately, no one raised an alarm when they saw Shibai; evidently they were conditioned to work under pain of death. Further along the armory were enormous presses that crashed down onto plates of white hot steel, imprinting Shao Kahn's coat of arms onto them.

One wall was lined end to end with racks of weapons; swords, spears, axes, daggers, so on and so forth. The other wall bore armors of various sizes and degrees of protection, and it was this wall that caught Shibai's attention.

Sweat beaded on Shibai's skin as she slowed to a walk. Once she had left the stinking acidic dead pool, she realized the Saurian had left a scent after all. She had no intention of tracking the damn thing but at least she would recognize its stink if it tried to sneak up on her again. As she did not smell the creature, she felt reasonably safe.

Solid plate armor would offer the best defense but after lifting the breastplate, Shibai determined the weight would hinder her movement. She needed a balance between defense and mobility, as her simple guard tunic and trousers were at best for her own decency. Perhaps full armor was unnecessary. She really just needed something for her head and arms at the moment, given the injuries received from the Saurian. And her feet, which stung at the embers from the nearby metalworkers. Damn those guards for not having the same shoe size as her!

With that in mind, she perused the helmets stacked atop the armor displays. Simple, crude, blocked her vision, looked ugly... Ah! She plucked up a helmet in the same design as that of Shao Kahn, but without the horns and skull mask. It was even small enough to fit Shibai's head comfortably. How convenient! She tied her hair in a quick bun, tied a cloth around her head, and donned the helmet.

She looked herself over in the reflection of a nearby breastplate and nodded in approval. Now for arm and feet protection, which were easy enough to acquire as the rest of the armor beneath the helmet were also in her size. Perhaps these were meant for Kitana? Or perhaps they were meant for Shibai had Shang Tsung approved of her.

With no small amount of smug satisfaction, Shibai took the bracers and boots. Standing tall in her semi-new outfit, she admired herself in the breastplate reflection. The guard tunic's red color paired nicely with the black sash and faded dark blue of her trousers and matching boots. The steel arm bracers came with a pair of dark red gloves, and the helmet completed the ensemble with its red flanges.

"You!"

"Can't get a moment's peace around here..." Shibai rolled her eyes as she turned to face whoever interrupted her moment. It was a Tarkatan flanked by two more of his kind. "Hiya, fellas."

The lead Tarkatan, whom she decided to nickname 'Gnash', stepped forward and revealed his arm blades. "You dare trespass here?"

Irritated and now full of confidence, Shibai folded her arms across her chest. "No, I'm a new guard who lost her way."

"We saw you steal that armor off the rack!"

"And you did nothing to stop me?"

The two flanking Tarkatans, hereby titled 'Jaws' and 'Yawn', chuckled at their leader. His composure now completely ruined, Gnash sputtered, "You are a thief! The sentence for this is death!"

"If you want this back," she said, shifting into a kombat stance, "come and claim it."

The three Tarkatans rushed her, and for a moment her vision turned red just as it had when she was first attacked in the Flesh Pits. She blinked it away and focused in time to duck under two very sharp arm blades. Spear in hand, she swept the feet from under Jaws and kicked Yawn in the gut.

Shibai's guard down, Gnash stabbed at her. His blow glanced off her arm bracer and she retaliated with a firm knee to his nose. The momentum flung him back, leaving Shibai some breathing room as she dueled the two other Tarkatans. They flanked her sides, slashing and swiping with blind fury as she defended with her spear and superior agility.

However, she could not keep defending forever, a point proven when an attack slipped past her and grazed her leg. Hissing in pain, Shibai utilized her new wind push technique, forcing Jaws away and throwing Shibai herself into Yawn.

His balance offset, Yawn tumbled to the floor and left himself open to a brutal elbow to the temple. Shibai made to finish him but had to roll away from Gnash and Jaws' simultaneous charges. As can be expected, the two collided with each other. Gnash's blades pierced right through Jaws' chest and killed him instantly.

Roaring, Gnash kicked the carcass off and searched for Shibai. "You will die for this, mongrel!"

"I'm aquiver with anticipation," she said from behind him. He spun on his heel and her fist met his jaw, the force of the blow knocking out several of his teeth. Grinning with cruel mirth, Shibai swung again, this time hitting Gnash in the jugular. Something cracked, his eyes went wide, and he clutched at his throat. "Ooh, do I take your breath away?" She giggled and watched as the poor helpless vermin dropped to his knees. He made pathetic gasps and gurgles as his eyes rolled up into his head. "I know, I know, I leave you speechless."

Yet... she felt pity for him. He was only doing his duty as a guard, violent though it was. Did he truly deserve a painful death like that?

Damn it, why bother feeling such weak feelings?! He attacked her, it was only right that she retaliate!

Shibai growled between her teeth. This same argument again? Kill, spare, kill, spare... Well, spare as in kill him quickly. He was already dead, he just had to fall over.

With a grouchy sigh, she took Gnash's head in her hands and twisted. His neck snapped and his body crumpled to the floor, his eyes lifeless and blank. She reached down for her spear and glanced at the spot where Yawn lay... but he was not there.

A boot smashed into her cheek and knocked her to the floor. She rolled away, dodging Yawn's manic stabs at the ground, but she made the mistake of stopping. He trapped her neck between his blades and pressed down. The blunt edges of his blades pushed against her windpipe and she realized he intended to suffocate her to death like this.

Shibai grabbed at his arms but his strength outmatched hers. His head was just out of reach of her swipes. She needed to breathe, her lungs already burning from lack of air. She reached out for something, anything, and just as her vision blurred, her fingers tapped some random dropped tool.

Grasping the tool with all her strength, Shibai swung up. The tool was a smithing hammer, a fact that proved most advantageous as it crashed into the side of Yawn's head. He collapsed to the floor, freeing Shibai from his blades. She gasped and coughed, the effort straining her injured neck. Yawn had yet to stand but the blow only disoriented him. One of them was going to recover first, and Shibai preferred that it be her.

Climbing to her feet, Shibai took deep, slow breaths. At least he had not clutched her neck like that Saurian, so she did not need as much time to catch her breath. A cold, dark hatred burned in her heart. "Try to choke me, will you?" She clubbed him in the head once more, leaving a sizable dent in his skull, yet he still lived. That was perfectly fine with her.

Yawn barely struggled as Shibai grabbed him by the boot and dragged him through the armory. Blood dribbled from the wounds in his head, leaving a dark red trail behind him. Even the sweltering heat from the nearby molten metal did little to shake him from his stupor, but Shibai had no intention of letting him sleep it off.

_**SMASH!** _

The crushing force of the metal stamper jolted Yawn awake, his head mere inches from where the stamper fell.

"How do I get out of here?" Shibai demanded, hoisting Yawn to his knees.

"I..." Blinking away the severe dizziness, Yawn looked Shibai in the eye. "I will not answer to you, filthy whore!"

"So be it." Shibai kicked his sternum and knocked him flat on his back. One of his arms landed above his head, right on top of a fresh sheet of raw metal.

_**SMASH!** _

Yawn howled as his arm snapped off beneath the stamper, leaving a cauterized stump just above the elbow. Shibai pulled him up again and grabbed the stump, twisting its scorched flesh. Yawn kicked and screamed but he could not shake Shibai's grip.

"How do I get out of here?"

Yawn shook his head wildly from side to side. "I would rather die!"

"Fair enough." Shibai shoved him over and held his head just above the metal plates as the smasher lifted back up. "At least you died with honor."

Yawn stared in abject horror at his pending doom. Was he really willing to die for this? "W-wait, I'll tell you! I'll talk!"

_**SMASH!** _

Shibai yanked him out just before the smasher fell. "Well?"

"W-where do you want to go?"

"Good question. Where is the sorcerer Shang Tsung?"

"Earthrealm! He is hosting the final Mortal Kombat tournament against Earth's warriors."

Shibai felt a dull sense of familiarity with the custom, perhaps a leftover of one of Shang Tsung's teachings during Shibai's incubation. "How do I get there?"

"The portal! You'll find it in Shao Kahn's throne room, but you'll never make it past the guards."

"We'll see."

_**SMASH!** _

"How do I get to the throne room?" she asked.

Yawn whimpered, his eyes darting from the smasher to Shibai. "I... you can get there by going up a staircase near the exit of this chamber! The throne room is at the top of the palace, just keep going up!"

"Just keep going up?"

"Just keep going up!"

_**SMASH!** _

Yawn flinched as the smasher came down once again. He looked up at Shibai with pleading eyes. "Please, I told you all I know! Let me go!"

"You want my advice?" she asked, though she did not expect an answer. She clutched his throat and lifted him to his knees. "You shouldn't buckle so badly under pressure." With a vicious yell, she hurled him onto the molten metal plates. He bounced across them to the far wall and fell directly onto the burning hot metal. Howled and screaming at the searing pain, Yawn made a mad crawl for safety. He was so close to the edge, he was almost there!

"Nakara!"

**_SMASH!_ **

Shibai cackled at the sight of his corpse smushed to just blood and bits of charred tissue.

Was she insane? Probably, but that was hilarious. And she successfully won a battle with her own skills! She examined the hammer, hefting it and judging its weight and balance. It was cumbersome, granted, but it served as a useful backup weapon. With a shrug she fit the hammer to her tunic sash, traded her old spear for a nicer and sharper one, and headed for the staircase at the far end of the armory chamber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was NOT Baraka she just fought. By this time, every named character who was in the tournament at the beginning of MK9 is there now, including Baraka and Reptile. The tournament still has not started yet, as I like to think Shang Tsung and his minions use the time to set everything up; guards, traps, catering, etc. Also, that is totally the armory/forge arena from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon because yes.


	4. The Deadly Alliance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to mention that I have no immediate plans to ship Shibai with anyone. Maybe I will as the story goes on, I dunno. But I promise that the majority of canon ships are staying. Liu Kang/Kitana, Johnny/Sonya, Kano/himself, etc.

Finally, something went right for Shibai. She followed the stairs up just as that Tarkatan said, passing by several floors filled with any number of insidious monsters and purposes... and they paid her no heed. Some even gave her a courteous nod as they passed each other. If she had to guess, she would say the armor and bloodstains marked her as a high-ranking guard on the way to report to Shao Kahn.

Whatever the case, Shibai made no arguments but as a precaution she slipped a cloth over her jaws to conceal her Tarkatan teeth. She simply kept going up, up, up, until she finally emerged into the throne room.

Despite his reputation, Shao Kahn's throne room was actually not much to speak of. Lit braziers lined the pillars and walls, revealing Shao Kahn's coat of arms on the floor before his throne. His throne was ornate and the pillars and walls were beautifully carved, but Shibai felt underwhelmed by the overall presentation. He did not even have banners hanging around the area!

What did this man do all day? All that power, all that authority, yet he could not hire an interior designer? Such a waste.

Oh well, let him do what he wants. Shibai's main concern was getting to the portal opposite the throne. The room contained Shao Kahn himself and a small gathering of warriors: a centaur; a striped Shokan; a scarlet-clad woman; a humanoid insect-like being.

None of them noticed her, so she stayed in the shadows and observed the meeting. With any luck, they would vacate the room and she would enter the portal with little trouble.

The centaur spoke first. "I am capable, my Emperor, and should be permitted to participate in the tournament!"

"You? A horse with no cart?" The Shokan laughed and addressed Shao Kahn directly. "I will eat their hearts, Motaro will merely chew the grass."

Shao Kahn smirked beneath his helmet. Such petty bickering always amused him, but he knew when to draw the line. "Enough, Kintaro. This is the final tournament needed before Earthrealm and that meddlesome thunder god bow before me. I will not risk such a close victory on your piteous pride! I am also not so foolish as to send my best warriors away and leave my realm open to attack."

"My lord, who would be foolish enough to attack us?" asked the woman in red. "You are almighty, all-powerful. We are but insects before you."

"Insects we may be," hissed the insectoid, "but This One stands above you, street urchin."

Shao Kahn and Shibai watched the debate with mild interest, the both of them silently hoping it would come to blows. For Shao Kahn it was simply to alleviate his boredom, but for Shibai it would provide a perfect distraction for her to get to the portal.

"D'Vorah, your sense of entitlement baffles me." The red-garbed woman twirled a dagger in her fingers. "How can a pitiful race like the Kytinn possibly be of use to Shao Kahn when he has a blood mage such as myself?"

D'Vorah bared her claws and said, "This One has no words for you, Skarlet, as the Kytinn do not give eulogies."

"Enough!" Shao Kahn rose from his throne and stood between the two. "You claim to be useful to me, yet you fail to spot our guest." He turned and faced Shibai directly, who stared right back in fear. "Come forward, wretch."

Well, it was a nice if brief life. Shibai took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadow. Would it better to make a run for the portal? The last time she ran, she was handily defeated.

As she walked, all four of the Emperor's warriors glared daggers at her, but she only smirked beneath her mask. It was their own fault they did not notice her, and it was Shao Kahn himself who pointed it out. How embarrassing.

She finally stood before the Emperor and felt utterly dwarfed by his immense stature and power. If he willed it, he could kill her with a single strike. Or have his minions do it for him. Whatever her fate, Shibai did not come this far just to cower. She looked him in the eye and said, "If I die, I die."

Shao Kahn did not reply. He simply looked her over, circling her like a predator would circle its prey. The others wisely moved out of his way, though Shibai spotted a slight shove from Skarlet to D'Vorah as they stood beside the throne. They certainly had it out for each other, but they found Shibai much more interesting for the moment.

"What name did the sorcerer give you?"

"Shibai."

"Shibai. You crawl from the Flesh Pits," said Shao Kahn as he continued circling her. "You kill my subjects, steal armor meant for _my_ daughter, and fight your way to my very throne room." He stopped and planted his hands on his hips. He stared for a moment, then let out a mighty laugh. "Shang Tsung has done well indeed. And what was your intention? You were to assassinate me?"

Shibai's fists tightened by her sides. "I have no vendetta against you, Shao Kahn. I will go to Earthrealm, find Shang Tsung, and rip his heart from his body."

Shao Kahn laughed again, throwing his head back in dark mirth. Once he composed himself, he reached out and held Shibai's chin. "Such spirit. I offer a proposition. You may enter the portal and pursue this quest of yours, if you defeat Skarlet _and_ D'Vorah in kombat."

Two of Outworld's greatest assassins against a clone of Outworld's princess. Shibai glanced at them. Skarlet wore a mask like Shibai but her eyes showed her intent to kill. D'Vorah unleashed four ovipositors from her back, their pronged tips dripping with venom. Shao Kahn returned to his throne, allowing room for Shibai's opponents to stand opposite her. Or rather, Skarlet made an effort to stand closer than D'Vorah, apparently disregarding the fact that they were supposed to fight together.

"I can smell your hybrid blood," said Skarlet as she readied a kombat stance.

Shibai rolled her eyes as she twirled her spear. "The mixture is unappealing?"

"No, it is _enticing_."

**"FIGHT!"**

The bout began with a series of failed strikes and lucky dodges. The three of them certainly received injuries, but nothing fatal as of yet. Shibai stayed on her toes, never staying in one place for more than a moment, while Skarlet and D'Vorah had no intention of working in tandem against their opponent. They attacked at every opportunity, but their lack of cooperation hindered them more than they cared to admit.

Shibai almost laughed. The duo were formidable, no doubt about that, but their hubris was Shibai's saving grace. It helped that Shibai had more experience with group battles than one-on-one kombat. If it were the latter, she doubted she would be doing as well as she was.

At least she was doing well at all. Perhaps that Saurian was just a fluke? Shibai had been caught off-guard and she was still relatively fresh from the Flesh Pits. And that coward turned invisible! No matter; if he crossed her again, she would kill him nice and slow.

Whatever excuse Shibai told herself did not change the fact that she was losing focus. D'Vorah rewarded this foolishness with a fist to the gut, followed rather rudely by Skarlet's knee to Shibai's back.

Cooperation or not, their combined attacks would shred Shibai apart in seconds if they connected. Shibai made liberal use of her wind push technique, but she needed more than just a gust of air. She needed them to attack each other, leave them open to her own attacks. Simple taunts would just enrage them against her, but if she adjusted her footing and spear-work...

There! D'Vorah lashed with her ovipositors. In one fluid motion Shibai ducked, pulled the smithing hammer from her sash, and brought it down hard on the Kytinn's foot. D'Vorah screamed, and Skarlet screamed as well when she was pierced in the shoulder by D'Vorah's ovipositor.

"You fool!" Skarlet screeched. Whatever else she was going to say was cut short by Shibai's hammer swinging into her cheek. The force of it knocked her off her feet, wrenching her free from the ovipositor in the process.

Shao Kahn laughed and called out, "Outstanding!"

D'Vorah clutched her injured foot while hopping on the other. Shibai pulled her mask down and pounced, offsetting D'Vorah's balance and sending her to the floor. Straddling the Kytinn, Shibai sank her fangs into D'Vorah's neck and wrenched a piece of flesh away.

Shibai spat the chunk of insectoid meat aside and gagged. The taste was revolting! So acidic and vile, and its pale blue color stained Shibai's clothes. She made to get up, but D'Vorah caught her by the front of her tunic. The Kytinn's ovipositors shot out and and pierced into Shibai's sides, staining her tunic a deep red.

With a pained yell, Shibai swung her hammer down and a loud _crack!_ marked the breaking of D'Vorah's jaw. Her eyes rolled into her head and her fingers limply released Shibai's tunic, allowing Shibai to stand.

D'Vorah still lived but she was officially out of the fight. Skarlet, on the other hand, had no intention of going down so easily. Her mask had been knocked off, revealing a gash in her cheek from Shibai's hammer. A pity; she was rather beautiful, all things considered.

"Scars add character," said Shibai. "Nothing to be ashamed of."

Skarlet spat at the floor. "I'll heal the damage with your blood."

"I'm not your type."

**"ENOUGH!"**

Shao Kahn rose from his throne and stood between them, much as he did earlier with Skarlet and D'Vorah. "I have seen enough. Shibai wins."

"What...!" Skarlet stepped forward, bowing her head. "My Lord, I am more than capable—"

"Of being silent when I am speaking!" Shao Kahn nudged D'Vorah with his foot. "Impressive. You fight with the savagery of Baraka and the grace of Kitana, yet you are inexperienced. Overconfident and undertrained. I have killed soldiers for less."

Shibai braced herself. If this was to be her end, then she would make it such an end worth remembering.

"Still..." Shao Kahn circled her once more, taking in her wounds and injuries with a critical eye. "Even the mightiest warhammers in my arsenal were once soft and useless metal. Skarlet herself was once a hungry child in the streets of Outworld. Weak, pathetic, barely worth the effort of killing her. Now she is among my deadliest warriors." He laughed mid-stride, sparing a glance in the aforementioned blood mage's direction. "And she has been bested by one of Shang Tsung's experiments."

"I have not been bested," Skarlet protested. "Please, Emperor, I humbly request—"

The back of Shao Kahn's hand met her jaw. "I do not warn twice, Skarlet." He returned his attention to Shibai. "A deal is a deal. You have proven yourself worthy and may journey to Earthrealm. Kill Shang Tsung and I may have a place for you here."

Shibai held her breath. Was that it? He was just going to let her go? Deciding it prudent not to test his patience, Shibai bowed to the Emperor and hurried through the portal. She would tend to her wounds later, once it felt reasonably safe.

Skarlet wiped the blood from her lip and snarled, "I will rend her apart, muscle fiber by muscle fiber."

"You will do _nothing_ ," Shao Kahn ordered. "You have failed enough for today. Go through the portal and carry out your own mission, and _do not_ let your pride keep you from it."

"I..." Clenching her jaw, Skarlet bowed her head. "As you command, Emperor."

"Kintaro, take D'Vorah to the soul chamber and see that she is healed." Shao Kahn was not one to be labelled 'merciful', as it was clear he only wished to aid D'Vorah so he would retain her services as a warrior.

As the Shokan left, Motaro huffed. "What of the hybrid?"

Shao Kahn chuckled as he returned to his throne. He rested his chin on one armored fist, the greenish light of the portal reflecting off his burning red eyes. "She is the sorcerer's problem now. Either he kills her or she kills him. No matter the outcome..." He leaned back with a dark sneer on his face. "I win."


	5. Sink or Swim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm incorporating a lot of elements across the franchise's depiction of Shang Tsung's Island but some things will be either completely changed or just plain removed from the story. Such as Kronika's crown. I like the idea of timelines crossing but not Kronika, so if I do that storyline later it will be someone else who does it. Anyway, Shang Tsung's Island is going to have a different layout from the games and whatnot.

Shibai landed on her feet, only to fall to her knees when the disorientation caught up with her. Damn that insect! Those pincers were full of venom, and now that venom was flowing through Shibai's veins. What a dirty trick. The worst part was that Shibai did not even get to kill the Kytinn!

Shibai was winning, damn it! Having Shao Kahn end the match and declare her the winner without a clear and concise victory was unthinkable! She defeated D'Vorah, but was that really a victory if D'Vorah's venom killed her after the fact?

The lingering image of D'Vorah knocked unconscious and her jaw hanging by a thread brought a smile to Shibai's face.

Water...

Great, she had cravings again. At least it was something sensible.

Shibai rubbed her eyes and looked around. The portal delivered her to a much more fashionable throne room, decorated with gold dragon statues and banners among many other beautiful ornaments. A lush red carpet adorned the floor from the main entrance all the way up to the throne itself. Say what she will about Shang Tsung but he had far more style than Shao Kahn.

As an added bonus, the throne room was unoccupied. What a stroke of luck! Standing with the throne behind her, Shibai noticed additional exits on either side. Clutching her wound, she hobbled to the right side exit and peeked out. The area beyond was bathed in warm sunlight that reflected off a small lake. A bridge stretched over the lake and connected the throne room to a short cliff on the other side. From what Shibai could see, the cliff bore a set of statues standing in victory. In the center was the largest statue; a massive Shokan with his four arms flexing to show off his strength. The other statues were unfamiliar to her, but she did not come here to admire statues.

She took a step out and hissed as the morning sunlight stung her eyes. Her head ached and her lungs burned, and she hoped it was nothing fatal. She had much to eat lately but she needed water. So thirsty... She felt uncomfortably warm as sweat beaded on her skin. It then occurred to her that she has spent almost every waking minute running or fighting. Not only was she poisoned, she was also dehydrated.

One step after another, Shibai limped to the bridge and glanced over the side to the lake. Its waters were crystal clear and the rushing sound of a nearby waterfall was music to her ears. She gazed out over the lake and let her jaw slacken at the spectacle, raising her arm so Meat's eye could see as well. This was an island in the middle of the ocean, but it was the most beautiful island she had ever seen! Technically, it was the _only_ island she had ever seen but that was just semantics.

The palace—because what else would she call this?—bore such lavish architecture and decorations that Shibai decided she would claim the island for herself once Shang Tsung was dead. She felt no particular ambitions toward the throne of Outworld despite her ties to it; by right she was an heir to the throne and could probably challenge for it, but what was she going to do once she had it? Sit there and tell people what to do? ... Actually that did have a certain appeal, but one thing at a time.

The cliffs across the bridge had a natural incline that led to a garden section, which extended to the main courtyard area in front of the palace itself. That was all well and good but Shibai's main concern was getting to the lake water below without jumping in. She would have to cross the bridge, follow the incline, and drink at the garden edge. So much walking...

Shibai took a quick breath and stepped onto the bridge. Droplets sprayed from the waterfall, cooling Shibai's burning skin. She closed her eyes at the wondrous balm to her fever. Water, the element that brings life. What power it had, so refreshing, so rejuvenating!

She opened her eyes again and all the calmness in her vanished. Across the bridge stood two guards, their backs to her but their naginatas ready. It seemed they were more disciplined on this island than in Shao Kahn's palace, though not enough to notice Shibai. She loathed the idea of kombat in her current state, but her only other option was to turn around and find a different route. Unless...

"Did you hear something?" asked one of the guards.

The other guard shook his head.

As for Shibai, she entered the water without trouble and quickly sank to the bottom thanks to her weapons and armor. She enjoyed the water's cool temperature and even risked a gulp to quench her thirst. She closed her eyes and let herself float for a moment, then she refocused on getting to the surface. With those damn guards at the bridge, she had to be stealthy. Or just hide behind the waterfall until she was rested and recovered.

A fish swam up to her. She was not particularly hungry so she waved it off. It came back, she waved it off again, and then it shot forward and bit her finger. She yelped in surprise, then horror as a whole school of piranha swam right for her. Her helmet protected her eyes, but there were so many of them! They bit and nibbled at every available inch of her, even through her clothing. One or two piranhas would be a mild annoyance, but dozens would pick her clean in minutes! Swinging her spear just tired her out more and they were too close for jabbing. Damn these little wretches!

She needed to hurry: Not only was she running out of air, she was also getting drowsy from both venom and the blood loss from her increasing number of wounds. Angling herself just right, she kicked the ground and shot herself up, up, up. The waterfall had a lone ledge behind it, perfect for Shibai to hide in.

She grabbed the ledge and hoisted herself out of the water, but the effort of that made her vision fade in and out. Her body bore dozens of bite marks, some minor but others more serious. Ow! Another bite alerted her to a stubborn piranha that clung to her arm. With a ferocious growl, she yanked down her mask and sank her fangs into the piranha's meaty belly. She wrenched the damn thing loose and shook it in her jaws until it stopped twitching. Satisfied that the piranha was dead, she spat it back into the water and huffed.

Showed that little bastard...

Shibai removed her helmet in time for the dizziness to strike her hard. Clutching her side wound with a trembling hand, Shibai curled into a ball and whimpered. Her insides were on fire! Shibai had only enough energy to wrap her sash tightly around her waist. Once it was, her eyes rolled back and the world faded away.

* * *

A splitting headache was the first sign that she was alive. Her rumbling stomach was the second. The water splashing on her skin was the third.

Groaning, Shibai rolled onto her back. Her fever had broke, thankfully, but it left her feeling ravenous and parched. Her wound was also healed, perhaps as a result of her hybrid blood. However, that had taken hours so she did not regard it as a particularly useful in-the-moment ability.

She crawled to the edge and cupped some water, only to jerk her hand out of reach of the piranhas that still hunted her. Her eyes narrowed and she stuck her hand back in. The piranhas were there in moments, nibbling at her gloves as best they could. Shibai waited for one to cross her open palm, patiently tolerating the bites and nibbles for the opportune moment...

Now!

Squeezing far more than necessary, Shibai pulled the piranha from the water and bit hard on its head. The taste was lacking but food is food. She ripped off the head—conveniently pulling out the majority of its bones with it—and dug in.

Four piranhas later, Shibai patted her belly with a great deal of satisfaction. The rest of them seemed to get the idea and let her be, allowing her to drink the water at her leisure. Now that she was fed and hydrated, she needed to get a move on.

It was just after sundown. Once she donned her mask and helmet, Shibai grabbed the rock face behind the waterfall and ascended, being careful not to slip on the slick surface. She climbed until she was high enough to jump to the bridge, but she bided her time in case guards were on patrol.

Her caution was validated when two hapless guards stepped onto the bridge. They were engaged in conversation, oblivious to the predator in the waterfall. She listened in, but the waterfall made it difficult to discern much until they were closer. Thank goodness for her hybrid hearing.

"—that the descendant of Kung Lao will participate."

"Bah, Kung Lao lost to Prince Goro. This 'Liu Kang' stands no chance."

"You mustn't underestimate the Shaolin. He was the only one Shang Tsung avoided during the voyage."

How lovely, the guard stopped just in front of Shibai and pointed a finger at his companion. "Shang Tsung will put him in his place at the banquet hall this evening—"

Shibai shot out like the piranhas below and kicked the other guard over the side. His screams quickly ended when he hit the water, replaced with the sounds of his body flailing and his flesh peeling. Shibai swung her hammer into the side of the remaining guard's mask, knocking it clean off his face.

Grabbing him by the front of his uniform, Shibai leaned him over the bridge's edge. The piranhas seemed unsatisfied with their first meal. They jumped out of the water to get at their next one, only missing the bridge itself by inches. "Where is the banquet hall?"

The man scoffed. "I give you full marks for such a feat but nothing more." His eyes drifted down and examined Shibai's figure, which was easier to see with her wet clothing sticking to her. "You wouldn't happen to be tonight's entertainment, would you?"

Shibai's expression darkened. She pulled down her mask with her free hand and hissed, "Would you like to find out?"

The guard's face quickly changed to one of terror. "Please, I-I meant no offense!"

"That makes one of us." She swung her hammer into his knee, shattering it from the side. His scream was drowned out by her other hand moving from his uniform to his throat. "Where is the banquet hall?"

"Below Shang Tsung's throne room..." Shibai only loosened her grip to let him inhale. "... go down the Warrior Shrine... follow the steps... you will die here...!"

"Who wants to live forever?" With that, Shibai pushed him over the side and let the piranhas feast.

* * *

Shibai took a moment to appreciate the fact that when people gave her directions, they were honest. It did not take long to find the hall, though she did stop to admire the statues at the Warrior Shrine. She had no idea who these people were but the carvings were beautiful.

The entrance to the banquet hall was indeed beneath the main palace throne room, but it was guarded by too many guards for Shibai to just attack and hope for the best. She needed to either blend in with a group or sneak in alone, as she would surely be detected and questioned if she tried to simply walk in. She took a deep breath so she could think, but then she caught a familiar scent. That filthy Saurian was here too?! Damn him! The next time she saw him, she would—

"Trying to get in?" asked a voice from behind her.

Shibai whirled around and held her spear against the stranger's throat, but she paused at the woman's appearance. Her skin and hair were translucent to the point of being almost totally invisible. Her eyes were white as the moon, though Shibai would not consider this an indication of blindness. She wore a black and grey leotard and matching boots, gloves, and mask on the lower half of her face.

"I mean you no harm," said the woman, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender.

"I can't make the same promise," Shibai growled. "You smell like one who has attacked me before."

The woman's eyes widened. "Reptile? You've encountered Reptile?"

"His name is really just Reptile? ... I am not in a position to judge. Now who are you?!"

"Khameleon," she said.

"... you have to be kidding."

"I am not."

With a sigh, Shibai removed her spear from Khameleon's throat. "Again, I am in no position to judge. My name is Shibai."

"That's... unfortunate," said Khameleon as she lowered her arms.

"Mm. What do you want?"

"An answer to my question," she said, crossing her arms. "Are you trying to get in?"

Shibai glanced behind her. "To the banquet hall? Yes."

"You can just walk in, you know."

"Oh, I'm supposed to trust you?"

Khameleon shrugged. "Trust me or don't. My only concern is finding Reptile."

"So you're not going to try and stop me?"

"Do you serve Shao Kahn?"

"No."

"Then no."

Shibai raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me but the majority of people I've met have tried to attack me. This feels a bit too convenient, wouldn't you say?"

Khameleon chuckled. "I can attack if that will make you feel better."

"Heh, thank you but no." Shibai wanted to relax but what reason did she have to trust this 'Khameleon'? Who was to say she would not attack the moment Shibai's guard was down?

"Would it help if I told you I could have attacked you before but didn't?" Khameleon gestured her head in the direction of the Warrior Shrine. "On the bridge. I was following those guards."

"If you're going to complain, I'll point out you could have stopped me."

Khameleon leaned against the nearby wall, one leg crossed over the other. "I have no complaints, only a request."

"You're not going to ask me to carry an organ around for you, are you?" Shibai held up her wrist so Khameleon could see the eye tied around it. "As you can see, I have my hands full with this one."

Khameleon blinked at the eye. "That is disturbing. I was only going to request that you do not kill Reptile should you encounter him again."

Shibai groaned but it was a rather simple request. Whatever reasons Khameleon had for needing Reptile alive were hers and hers alone. Besides, she did not smell hostile. She smelled like a Saurian, but not an enemy. "Fine, though I make no promises that I won't fight him if he challenges me."

"Agreed."

"So you were saying about getting in?"

Khameleon nodded and said, "You just walk in. The guards have no reason to suspect you don't belong here, especially with your armor."

Shibai crossed her arms and asked, "Why haven't you gone in if it's so easy?"

"Because I already have," she replied. "I was searching for Reptile but he was not there, so I followed those guards instead. I was actually about to give up as I had been tailing them for hours."

"What will you do now?"

Khameleon sighed, resting her head against the wall. "I suppose I'll spectate the tournament. He is bound to participate at some point."

"Will you?"

"I have no plans to fight, but I will if I must."

Shibai supposed that was fair. Why fight when you can sneak around undetected? Khameleon's only goal was finding Reptile, though she may have the intention to kill him herself. Whatever the case, Shibai bowed her head. "Thank you for your advice."

"Thank you for not cutting my throat," Khameleon replied. "Perhaps we will meet again under better circumstances."

"Just don't greet me with a kick to my chest," said Shibai. "Then I will be inclined to cut your throat."

"... You have lived a strange life, Shibai."

"For someone born yesterday, yes, I have."

The Saurian laughed and nodded. "I bid you farewell."

"Farewell, Khameleon." Shibai smiled at her. It was nice to have another conversation that did not involve threats and insults. She was surprised to find she wanted to talk more, but Khameleon had already vanished into the night.

Heeding the Saurian's advice, Shibai made herself look presentable—no easy feat when her clothes were still soaking wet—and marched to the banquet entrance. As she passed them, she gave the guards a courteous nod which was returned without fuss. So it really was that easy. She descended the stairs and entered into a decadent great hall lit with candles and braziers. The succulent aroma of cooked food gave Shibai a new appetite as she surveyed the area.

There must have been upwards of fifty people in that hall, some on a platform at the far end and others standing guard along the elevated pathways around the central dining floor. The rest sat at various tables on the dining floor, their plates and goblets filled to the brim with food and drink.

Quite the little paradise, Shibai admitted. She headed for an empty seat at the most vacant table, its only other occupants a man wearing a strange blue suit and a pair of black spectacles over his eyes and a blonde woman clad in dark green trousers and a thick vest that left her arms bare. On the way, she glanced up at the platform and noticed that it bore a throne much like the one above; no doubt that would be where Shang Tsung would oversee the dining hall and any kombat within. However, the sorcerer himself was nowhere to be seen. On either side of the throne were dining tables much like the ones below, but their positions indicated the occupants were people of stature.

Stature indeed! Sitting at one table were a trio of masked women garbed in red, green, and blue respectively. Shibai recognized the woman in red as Skarlet, her previous mask replaced with a new but less fashionable one. The woman in green was unknown. The woman in blue, however... Shibai knew her own blood when she saw it. The woman in blue was Princess Kitana herself!

Despite Shibai's apprehension, no one batted an eye at her. She really did blend in with her outfit!

Shibai shook herself from her thoughts and sat with her back to the throne platform, not even bothering to ask if her seat was occupied. She certainly stopped thinking when she spotted the roasts on the silver platter right in front of her, and so she filled up her plate with pork, turkey, and sausage links. The goblet closest to her was already filled with a dark red wine, but she dared not drink since that would require removing her mask. She was very glad she could eat just by slightly lifting the bottom of her mask.

The woman across from her gave her a half-pleading, half-puzzled look while the man paid her no heed at all.

"Hey, beautiful," said the man to the woman. He pointed a thumb at himself and nodded to no one in particular. "Johnny Cage."

"Good for you," grumbled the woman. Her gloved fingers tapped against the table and she gave Shibai another puzzled-yet-pleading look. 'Help Me', she mouthed.

Johnny Cage frowned. "What, _Massive Strike_? _Citizen Cage_? _Ninja Mime_? None of those ring a bell?"

Shibai removed her helmet and laughed, both at him and at her loose hair flopping into her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about but aren't ninjas supposed to be stealthy and above all, silent?"

The woman snorted while Johnny Cage merely shrugged. "I'm not method, angel. Cramps my style."

"You'd have to have style first," said the woman, earning another laugh from Shibai.

"Aw c'mon!" Johnny pouted and picked at his food. "I have tons of style."

Shibai shrugged. "I wouldn't know, I'm... not from around here."

"I'll say," said Johnny, lowering his spectacles and giving Shibai a very interested look. "Your eyes are out of this world, angel."

Shibai chuckled and shook her head. "You have no idea how right you are."

"Johnny Cage," he said, holding his hand out to her.

"So I hear," she replied. She shook his hand both because it was polite—she did have manners, after all—and because he seemed funny in a pathetic sort of way. "Shibai."

"That's beautiful," he said. "Does it mean 'Light of my eye'?"

"... Sure."

The woman snorted again. She looked Shibai up and down before shaking hands with her. "Lieutenant Sonya Blade."

"So that's your name!" Johnny exclaimed, raising his fists in some perceived victory. "Sonya Blade. Aptly named because you are one sharp Sonya-va bitch. ... Okay, that sounded better in my head."

"Not to be rude," said Shibai, fully intending to be rude as she pushed her empty plate away, "but for everyone's sake you should probably _cage_ those kinds of thoughts next time."

Johnny stared at her for a moment and then suddenly took her hands in his. "Run away with me."

Even Shibai with her considerable lack of social activity knew he was just being silly. "Johnny Cage, you couldn't keep pace with me if you tried."

"Is that an invitation?"

"No."

Sonya laughed, but that laughter died down with all the other chatter in the room. She and Johnny looked behind Shibai, who quickly donned her helmet and did the same.

More people entered the dining hall from two doorways on either side of the throne platform. The first people to step out were just guards, but they were followed by three men in red, yellow, and blue. The red- and yellow-dressed men followed behind the man in blue, his hands and mask steaming with no apparent cause. He led them up to the platform and stood in front of the unoccupied table. Meanwhile, Kitana and her companions rose from their table and matched positions with the man in blue.

Across the way, three men descended the staircase and stood on the raised pathway. One of them was a man with pure white skin and evil-looking tattoos. To his right was a ninja in similar attire to the men on the platform. His uniform was even yellow, but his eyes were harsh white. The other man was not a man, but a Tarkatan! Somehow he looked even meaner and more bloodthirsty than the ones Shibai had encountered before.

Finally, out walked Shang Tsung himself, smiling that evil smile behind his white mustache. He made his way onto the platform and stood in front of his throne. He gazed out at the people in the center dining area. Shibai thought she caught a glimmer of recognition when his eyes passed over her, but he otherwise made no indication he knew who she was.

"Welcome, kombatants." Ugh, even his greetings were acidic yet charming. "I am Shang Tsung. You are here to compete in Mortal Kombat. Tomorrow morning, the Great Kombat begins. Each of you will fight." He looked over at a group of warriors: a man in blue and white wearing a straw hat; a man in black and red; a man in a shamanic outfit with red facial markings. "Some are here of their own volition. Others—" He glanced at Shibai's table and there was no doubt in her mind that he recognized her. "—were brought here by chance. Some of you will even have the distinct honor—and pleasure—to face Prince Goro, our reigning champion. You are all witnesses to one of the greatest turning points in the history of your planet. _Treasure_ these moments... as if they were your last."

Shibai certainly treasured the thought of _his_ last moments. Cowering, broken, begging for mercy!

"And now for a taste of things to come." Shang Tsung nodded to the man in blue, who left the platform and positioned himself in front of it in a kombat stance.

It was then Shibai realized the tables allowed a direct path from the platform to the staircase leading up, as directly opposite the man in blue was a lone warrior. His upper body was very toned, a point he stressed by flexing and bulging his pectorals and biceps. The man in blue simply maintained his stance, left arm raised and right arm held close to his side. His opponent demoed several kicks and punches, though Shibai paid more attention to the man in blue. His right hand swirled with white magic, the sight of which sent a shiver down Shibai's spine. Was it getting cold in here?

The shirtless warrior continued his little show while the man in blue continued building up his magic until a small white orb formed in his hand. After a minute or so, the shirtless man charged. He leapt into the air with a leading jump kick, and the man in blue threw his projectile.

The doomed warrior froze in mid-air but his momentum carried him across the arena. The man in blue ducked out of the way and left his opponent to his fate.

_CRASH!_

The frozen body shattered on impact with the platform, sending shards of flesh and bone everywhere. What was left of his head came to a stop before Shang Tsung's feet, his dead eyes staring at the audience.

Shang Tsung merely smirked. "Flawless Victory."

Johnny, Sonya, and Shibai stared at the remains. Shibai herself was very, very glad she had not encountered the man in blue thus far. Those frozen bits all over the floor would have been her!

Johnny slowly removed his spectacles. "'Come to a little tournament,' he said. 'Good for the career,' he said. Yeah right!"


End file.
